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British Central Africa

by Blas Delgado Ortiz, based on an illustration in Flags of Maritime Nations (1914)

British Central Africa Protectorate Ensign
Governor's flag
British Central Africa Protectorate Arms

See also:

British Central Africa Protectorate Ensign

Urged by Cecil Rhodes, who envisaged a British Empire in Africa extending from Cape to Cairo, Britain appointed its first consul to Central Africa in 1883. Six years later in 1889 the Shire Highlands Protectorate in 1889 was proclaimed, the same year in which the British South Africa Company was granted its Royal Charter. In 1891 the Shire Highlands Protectorate made way for the British Central African Protectorate.
The flag used by the British Central Africa Protectorate was a blue ensign charged in the centre of the fly, on a roundel tierced per bend sinister yellow, white and black, with a coffee tree fructed proper. The coffee tree was taken from the crest of the Arms and the yellow, white and black bands symbolised racial co-operation.
This flag was first taken into use in 1894 when a design of Arms was prepared for the Protectorate. However, Admiralty approval was only given for the use of the coffee tree from the crest of these Arms as the device for use on the Protectorate's flags as the Colonial Office was not prepared to accept the design as the official Arms of the Protectorate. It was only in 1914 that a formal grant of Arms by Royal Warrant was made to the territory, which had been renamed Nyasaland in 1907. These Arms were then incorporated into a new series of flags for the Protectorate.
According to Commander Farrow's monograph, The Colours of the Fleet, there was no red ensign version of this flag.
Bruce Berry, 16 Jan 2003

Governor's flag

by Martin Grieve, 17 Jan 2003

The first European interests in the territory bordering Lake Nyasa were led by Dr David Livingstone and other missionaries who were concerned about the effects of the slave trade in the area. The threat of further eastward Portuguese expansion from what is now Mozambique, and the urging of Cecil Rhodes, led to the appointment of a British Consul in the area in 1883. This was followed by the proclamation of the Shire Highlands Protectorate in 1889, the same year in which the British South Africa
Company was granted its Royal Charter. In 1891 the Shire Highlands Protectorate made way for the British Central African
Protectorate. The name of the Protectorate was changed to Nyasaland in 1907 and remained unchanged until independence in
1964.
The Commissioner of the British Central Africa Protectorate flew a British Union Flag charged in the centre, on a roundel tierced per bend sinister yellow, white and black, with a coffee tree fructed proper, within a green garland of laurel. The coffee tree was taken from the crest of the unofficial Arms and the yellow, white and black bands symbolised racial co-operation.
This flag was first taken into use in 1894 when a design of Arms was prepared for the Protectorate and was also subsequently the first flag used by the Governor of Nyasaland. The Colonial Office was not prepared to accept this design as the official Arms of the Protectorate and it was only in 1914 that a formal grant of Arms by Royal Warrant was made. These Arms were then incorporated into a new series of flags for the Protectorate.
Source: SAVA Journal SJ: 3/94, The Union Jack over Southern and Central Africa, 1965-1994 by FG Brownell.
Bruce Berry, 17 Jan 2003

British Central Africa Protectorate Arms

by Josh Fruhlinger, 13 Feb 1996

The Arms of the British Central Africa Protectorate were only granted in 1914 despite an unofficial design being in use since 1894 when the first Commissioner and Consul General, H. H. Johnston submitted his own design to the Foreign Office for approval. It was to be used on postage and revenue stamps and also in the centre of the Union Jack as the territory's flag. The Postmaster-General in London approved the use of the whole design on stamps and the Admiralty approved the crest for use on flags, but the Colonial Office did not approve of the design as territorial arms. A formal grant of arms was only made in 1914. From 1894 therefore, the flag of the territory was a British Blue Ensign with a coffee tree in the centre of a roundel in the fly. This was from the crest of the "unoffical" arms designed by Commissioner Johnston.
The background of the roundel was three diagonal stripes of yellow, white and black (symbolising racial co-operation). The coffee tree also appeared in the centre of a Union Jack within a garland of laurel as the flag of the Commissioner.
The name of the territory was changed to Nyasaland in 1907.
Josh Fruhlinger, 13 Feb 1996

I was intrigued by the badge shown for British Central Africa (Malawi as it was before 1914), since it is quite different from the arms which actually appeared on the protectorate's stamps. I don't have any indication of the colouring of the arms on the stamps, but if you are interested I could provide a scan. The badge as illustrated might have appeared on flags, but there is no
trace of it on the protectorate's stamps.
Mike Oettle, 21 Dec 2001